Improvement in shades for protecting the eyes



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES F. SPENCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHADES FOR PROTECTING THE EYES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58.907. dated October' 1G, 1866.

liig. 2 is a Fig. 4 is a detached front view of a portion of the in ven` tion.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention consists in a novel construe tion of a shade for protecting the eyes from the injurious effects of a stronglight, whereby the said shade may be more easily and conveniently secured upon the forehead than those heretofore made, and by which it is also prevented from heating the forehead when placed thereon.

To enable others to understand the nature and construction of my invention, 1 will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A is a clasp or band, which may be made of tin or other sheet metal, or ot hard vulcanized rubber. The central or forward portion of this clasp is nearly or quite semicircular in form, as shown at a ay in Fig. l, in order to correspond with the shape of the forehead, and the ends of which are curved inward toward each other, as also represented in the said iigure, but have their extreme portions b curved outward, so as not to irritate or abradc the skin when the clasp is placed upon the head, as will be presently fully explained.

Soldered or otherwise secured upon the outer side of the front or semicircular part of the clasp A is a suitable number of spurs or projections, o, by means of which the shade B is attached to the clasp A. These spurs project downward at a suitable angle to the outer side ofthe said clasp, as clearly shown in the drawr4 ings, and may be made double, so as to clasp the edge of the shade B between two surfaces, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The shade B is of the same shape as those commonly worn, and may be made of cloth, leather, pastcboard, or other suitable material, and has its inner or concave edge placed between the two parts of the spurs c, and is firmly secured thereto by screws o, in such manner that it may be easily removed by unscrewing the said screws in order to be re placed when soiled or torn. The concave inner edge of the shade B is not brought in contact with the clasp A, but is so situated with reference thereto that a space, d., is left between the shade and the clasp, through which the air may pass to keep the forehead cool when the shade is placed over the eyes.

then in use, the clasp or band A is placed upon the head, the front or scn'iicircular part extending across the forehead, and the two ends resting against the sides ofthe head, thus lightly clasping the head between them, but with sutleient force to retain the clasp A in place, the shade B, when the clasp A is thus attached to the forehead, extending` downward and forward over the eyes at a suitable angle to the forehead, and thus protecting them from the light in the same manner as an ordinary shade. The use of the clasp A enables the shade to be pnt on and taken off with the least possible inconvenience, and the space d permits the air to rise and pass freely between the shade and the forehead, thus keeping the forehead cool, instead of heating the same by the contact of the shade therewith, as is the case with the shades in common use.

Vtvhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe elastic clasp or band A, in combination with the shade 15, substantially as herein set forth, for the purpose specified.

2. The construction of the shade whereby a space is left for the passage of air between the shade and the forehead, substantially as herein sety forth, for the purpose specified.

JAMES F. SPENCE.

\\"itnesses:

A. Ln CLERC, J. W. CooMns. 

